


Attack On Titan - スカウト戦士

by Timekeeper_Fandom



Category: Original Work, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 104th Training Corps - Freeform, 104th Training Corps Shenanigans, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Canonical Character Death, Chaos, Character Death, Death, Depression, Drinking, Drinking & Talking, Fall of Wall Maria, Fights, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gender-Neutral Hange Zoë, Hange Zoë's Experiments, Hangover, Heavy Angst, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Light Angst, Marley (Shingeki no Kyojin), Minor Injuries, My First Work in This Fandom, Near Death Experiences, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Hange Zoë, Original Special Operations Squad | Squad Levi, Paradis Island (Shingeki no Kyojin), Post-fall of wall maria, Pre-Fall of Wall Maria, Pre-Fall of Wall Rose, References to Depression, Sadness, Scientist Hange Zoë, Serious Injuries, THIS IS DARK AT CHAPTERS, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Titan Shifters, Titan Shifting, Titans, Wall Maria (Shingeki no Kyojin), Wall Rose (Shingeki no Kyojin), Wall Sina (Shingeki no Kyojin), Welp time to break hearts, Yea this gets dark, lets watch people suffer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:36:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28011756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Timekeeper_Fandom/pseuds/Timekeeper_Fandom
Summary: "スカウト戦士" - "Scout Warrior", or "Warrior Of The Scouts"Attack On Titan, with new characters, titans, and plenty more chaos and death! All you need for this classic heart-breaker of a manga!Emilio "Lio" Karsten, 22, and one of the newest Recruits in the 104th Training Corps. With the will to protect his friends and family, he vows to help make the world safer. However, it's kinda hard when it turns out that one of the newest recruits can shift into a titan, and half of your friends get eaten by Titans on your first mission. Hopefully, he can actually do some good, and he doesn't care if he has to break the rules to do it.However, Ebony, A Member of Marley's Warriors, seems to believe otherwise. Armed with the Misty Titan, they are sent off to infiltrate Paradis Island, along with Reiner, Annie, Bertholt, and Johanna Oskar, wielder of the Inferno Titan. Sent to destroy the walls, Ebony hopes that they fall quickly, and brutally. Yet, their own code of rules is under threat of being broken when their friend's lives are threatened, their identity nearing exposure, and the plan comes crumbling.
Kudos: 2





	1. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emilio joins the 104th Cadet Corps and starts to bond with some of the trainees while viewing the chaos of the first day.

The sky was always so appealing to Emilio.

He wanted to reach up and touch the sky, to graze the stars with his hands.

He wanted to fly, to fly over the walls, and to see the sights. To see the things the books told, the sea, the deserts, the forests.

He wanted to see it all.

He was reminded of his dream every time he reached up and covered the sun with his hand, his fingers slicing the light into strands behind him. The warmth that touched his skin made an all-too-happy grin cover his face, his multi-colored eyes gleaming with hope.

He was 13 then. He was 13 when the wall fell. 13 when he lost everything.

Emilio occasionally glanced at the sun, remembering the wishes he made, the promises and dreams he once held dear. His hand would reach to the sky, cupping the sun as a sorrow-filled smile covered his face.

That smile reminded him of his new vows, his new promises. His new dreams.

To that, he smiled, feeling the sun warm his hand as he reached to the skies.

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"Hey! Freckles! State your name, now!" Commandant Sadies ordered, loud and yelling. Emilio felt his ears ring as the commander shouted his name, shivering as he saluted, right fist slamming against his chest, giving the signature salute of their armies.

"Emilio Karsten, sir! I come from Shiganshina!" Lio replied, smirking, and his eyes bright with hope. "My goal is to help defend humanity against the Titans!"

"Great! You can easily be a human decoy!" The commandant yelled, getting right into the blue-haired male's face. "With hair like that, Titans could find you at night!" Lio gulped, feeling the urge to back up and move. "Next! You there!"

Emilio sighed, shivering as he felt beads of sweat drip down his face. He crossed his arms as he began to look around, watching the recruits glance at whoever the commander was ripping into. One of the recruits, with tan hair and an undercut, stumbled upward, clutching his stomach. Jean Kirstein, Lio believed his name was. Marco Bott, Mina Carolina, and Armin Arlert, two of the few cadets that got the worst of the commanders' wrath, were shaking slightly. A few Cadets stood uniform, untouched by Sadies wrath. Lio could remember their names. Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackermann, Reiner Braun, Annie Leonheart, Bertholt Hoover, Johanna Oskar, and a mysterious cadet who would only go by Ebony, and Lio (and likely, most other cadets) suspected it was due to their snow-white hair. He suspected that Ebony was albino, gifted with pale white skin, red eyes, and was one of the shorter and much thinner cadets, barely passing Krista at 5'2".

A loud crunch and the thud of something heavy caused Lio to finally turn to face the newest cadet being reamed by Sadies.

Lio's eyes widened in a mix of awe and shock as he saw a maroon-haired girl munching on a potato, right in line. Sadies was staring at her, cold eyes opened in a mix of fury and confusion. The girl just continued eating, and Lio had to stifle a laugh at the stupidity of it all.

"Hey, you there," Sadies muttered, voice cold and angry. "What do you think you're doing?"

The girl glanced around, seemingly confused, and maybe questioning if Sadies was talking to her. She took another bite, and Lio stifled another laugh as he saw a cadet with dirty blonde hair turn into a fish, his jaw hitting the floor in shock. Sadies stormed in front of the girl, eyes angry.

"You are officially on my shit list! Just who the hell are you?" He screamed, the potato girl's eyes going wide. She gulped, swallowing her potato as she saluted to her commandant.

"Sasha Braus from Dauper village, at your service. Reporting for duty, sir!" She claimed, face speckled with crumbs from her snack.

"..Sasha Braus, huh? And what is that you're clutching in your right hand?" Sadies asked, coldly.

"A steamed potato! It sat there in the mess hall begging to be eaten. Sir!" Sasha replied, maintaining eye contact.

This was not happening. The first day and someone pulls this stunt? Lio was amazed.

"The theft I understand," Sadies replied, slightly confused, and annoyed. "But here? Why eat it here, of all places?"

"It looked quite delicious." Potato Girl stated; hazel eyes focused and calm. "And it was getting cold. So I sheltered it in my stomach, sir."

"...Why? I can't comprehend. Why would you eat that potato?" Sadies asked, purely confused about the whole scenario.

"...Are you asking me why people eat potatoes? I'm surprised you don't know, sir," Sasha replied.

Emilio had to pick his own jaw off the floor as he heard murmurs and gasps from cadets everywhere around him. A cold silence filled the air, the wind the only noise following the training grounds.

Sasha grumbled, clutching her potato and splitting it into two pieces. Keeping the bigger one to herself, she handed the other piece to the commandant.

"Tch... Here, sir. Have half." She sighed, handing the piece to Sadies. The commandant stuttered, picking the piece of potato from her grasp.

"..."Have Half?" Really?" He muttered in pure shock.

Lio had to clap a hand over his mouth as he stifled his laughter at the stupidity of it all.

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Lio sighed, sitting on one of the cliffs, watching Sasha run laps around the camp for her insubordination. His eyes trailed over to the wagon of drop-outs, carrying what little items they had brought with them back to the fields. He sighed, knowing that life here, honestly, sucked. He wondered what it would be like if he stole some ODM gear and flew over the walls, and far away. Away from the districts, the cities, everything. He always found himself drawn to the forests and quiet hills, bringing whatever book he could get, or an empty journal to write his own stories and tales.

"Commander wasn't kidding when he said you stuck out." A voice chuckled, causing Lio's head to snap up, seeing the tan-haired male, Jean. "You stick out like a bar of soap in a coal pile." Lio chuckled, rubbing his neck as he nodded.

Lio had dark blue hair, which he assumed was from some type of mutated genetics, and practically glowed when any light was shown on it (due to grease or shine, Lio never fully understood why, but he hated it), but he didn't question it much. He had tan, freckly skin, which covered his cheeks, neck, shoulder, and arms, and legs. He was also gifted with heterochromia, with a dark purple eye, and a slightly dark-blue color. Lastly was his teeth, which could be mistaken for a wolve's with how sharp each one was. A bite in the right spot from him could prove fatal.

"Blame genetics, undercut. I didn't ask to look like this." The older male snapped, teeth bared. The other male laughed, sitting next to the growling cadet, watching the drop-outs wagon leave. "Anyways, Jean, right? You wanna join the MP's?" 

"Yea. I wanna join the Military Police. To be able to stay safe, away." Jean replied, watching the wagon leave. "What about you? Since we're gonna be stuck with each other for a while, we might as well get to know each other."

"...I'm not really sure what group I'll join. I just want to protect what's left of my family." Lio replied, crossing his arms and looking down at the floor. "Maybe the Garrison or Military Police."

"Reasonable goals for someone stuck here, but considering what's been going on, it's definitely gonna be difficult," Jean replied bluntly, watching the drop-out wagon escape from out of view. "I heard that this one guy boasts on how he wants to kill every single Titan and join the Survey Corps. Kinda stupid, if you ask me."

"The titan part, or the Survey Corps bit?" The blue-haired male asked, chuckling.

"Honestly, a bit of both." He replied, causing the blue-haired male to chuckle. "What's your name, anyway? I wasn't paying attention."

"It's Emilio. Everyone calls me Lio, though." The older male replied, rubbing his neck. "You're Jean, right? How's your head?" The tan-haired male snorted, the two quickly remembering when Commandant Sadies headbutted him after he stated he wanted to join The Military Police.

"Fine, just caught me off guard, that's all." He stated, rubbing his forehead. "You seemed to get off easy."

"Yea. Compared to the other guys. Connie seemed to get the worst of it." Lio replied, shivering.

"Honest to god, I didn't even know that a face could stretch like that," Jean muttered, rubbing his arms as a chill went up through his spine. "All of that for doing the salute backward... Sasha didn't get it easy, too." He pointed to a silhouette running around the training camps, which with focus, turned out to be the Potato Girl. "Heard she has to run until sundown and lost some food privileges." Lio shivered, feeling his own stomach growl with hunger.

"Speaking of food, aren't they serving dinner soon?" He asked, stumbling up and stretching his arms. "Hopefully it'll be something editable, or decent." Jean nodded, Emilio, helping him up off the dusty ground and the two began to walk towards the mess hall. It was then the other male noticed Emilio's limp, on his left leg. He was slightly dragging it as if it was too heavy to lift.

"Is... Is your leg okay?" Jean asked, confused, and eyeing the limp on the blue-haired male. He shrugged, crossing his arms and looking away.

"Not really. Got clipped in Shiganshina when the walls fell, and it's been a pain since." Emilio explained, patting his left leg. "It's not bad, considering the damage some of the others got. My sister was knocked into a coma, and my mom got crushed. Dad got eaten by a titan."

"O-Oh, I- sorry, I didn't-" Jean stuttered, trying to apologize for bringing out some harsh memories, but Emilio chuckled.

"It's fine. I've accepted it, cause if it wasn't for my mom, me and my sister would both be dead." The blue-haired male sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Plus, my sister is showing signs of waking up. It would be nice if she would wake up in a safer world than a few years ago. Her name is Clove. Clove Karsten."

Jean remained silent, an awkward smile across his face. He felt very uncomfortable, as anyone would when the talk on Shiganshina was brought up. Nearly everyone had lost something from that day, and Emilio was no exception.

"Hey, it's okay. I've just accepted it, for the most part. I'm fine with talking about It, unlike others." The blue-haired male replied, rubbing his neck. "What about you? Do you have any family?"

"Yea, a mom. She lives back in Trost." He replied, crossing his arms. "I used to think it was so safe, before the wall fell. Now, we're the next to fall if those Titans show up again." Emilio shivered, rubbing his arms to stave off the sudden chill that went up his spine.

"...Hey, you wanna know something?" Lio asked, slightly solem, his usually carefree demanour broken. Jean nodded, eyeing the blue-haired male in confusion and slight interest.

"Go ahead. Is it about those special titans?" Jean asked, while Emilio nodded.

"..I just... I saw The Armored Titan. It was the one that crushed my mom and put my sister into a coma. The one that t- clipped my leg." Emilio confessed, the air becoming colder. "I locked eyes with it as it ran off. It was... it was sureal, to say the least."

"You... locked eyes... with the armored titan?" The taller male stated, in a mix of shock and awe. The two stopped walking, the cool air beginning to show their breath as the sun set. "You locked eyes with it?! What the- How were you not scared?!"

"I was TERRIFIED! I couldn't do anything, though! My leg was... I don't even remember now, but it was hurt, and I couldn't run!" Emilio replied, eyes wide as he remembered the terror that filled his bones as the maybe-16 meter titan turned to face the blue-haired male, when he was only 13. A child. "Then... it vanished. A large poof of smoke and steam, and it was gone. No bones, no flesh, nothing left."

"Yeesh. I'm surprised you don't have nightmares from that." Jean replied, looking away awkwardly.

"Don't get me started." Emilio bluntly replied, shuddering slightly.

"I don't think I want to know." He chuckled, rubbing his neck. "Why are you telling me all of this? Usually people like to keep stuff such as this private."

"I don't like secrets. Plus, If i tell people a lot about myself, then they can't blackmail me over something bad I did." Lio stated, crossing his arms. "If I did do anything worth to be blackmailed over, that is."

"Okay wise guy, can we go get some food now?" Jean sighed, pointing to the mess hall, gleaming with light and candles. With candles, meant warmth.

"Alright, alright." He chuckled, the duo heading towards the warm cottage, anticipating whatever food would be served that evening. "So, what do you think they'll be serving us tonight?

"Hopefully something edible."

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Emilio sat down at one of the few random tables, which was easy, considering a vast majority of the trainee's were circled around one table. It had some of the younger recruits, some as young as 12. Literal children, which left a bad taste in Lio's mouth. A brown-haired male with green-or-blue, perhaps a mix of both, eyes. Lio remembered that his name was Eren. There was also a girl with black hair and eyes, using the name Mikasa, and a blonde with crystal blue eyes. The famous Armin who got chewed out by the commandant at roll call. The group around them kept pestering the trio about Shiganshina, and what the titans looked like.

"Jeez, I feel sorry for those kids..." Emilio felt himself mutter under his breath, watching the whole circus of questions and chaos at the table next to him. It was then finally when Marco, black hair and eyes, with freckles as well, told everyone to leave them alone. In Emilio's terms, he just said "Buzz off, that day was terrible." He was much nicer than that, but that was the short of it.

"It's not like that! Those stupid titans. They're really not that big of a deal" Eren retorted to Marco's protests, causing everyone to gasp slightly. A few soldiers ignored the commotion, but most eyed the scene with curiosity. "If we focus on mastering the omni-directional mobility gear they give us. Then it's titan payback time!" Lio could hear Jean snort in annoyance from across the table.

"Jean, no." He stated bluntly. "Was this that kid you talked about? The one who planned on joining the Scouts?" The light-brunnete nodded, half-listening to the other male as he watched Eren boast on. "Hey, give the kid a break. He just wants to help."

"He's gonna die, you know? Joining the Scout Regiment is a death sentence." He replied, a bit loud, as if trying to rile up Eren. Lio sighed, taking a bite of his bread.

"Dude, we have been here for one day. Don't get into a fight." Lio replied, feeling pairs of eyes graze over him. 

"He's crazy!" The brunette replied, loudly, causing Lio to slam his head into the table, trying to hide from the eyes that all glanced over at them. "Not that it's my business, but signing up for reconnaissance is a death sentence."

"Oh my god-" Lio groaned, knowing that this wasn't going to end well. "Jean stop-"

"I'm stating the facts here!" He retorted, while Eren huffed in annoyance.

"We'll just have to see. Or at least, I will." He replied, glancing at Jean with annoyance. "You seem content hiding in the interior with the MPs."

"Look, I'm just speaking here honestly, kid. I think it's better than being some loud-mouthed, braggart tough-guy wannabe who's pretending he's not as piss-scared as the rest of us, huh?"

Eren stood up, eyes cold and angry. "You trying to start a fight?"

"Jean, shut the hell up before you get your ass kicked." Lio cursed quietly, half-wanting to stop the fight, and half-wanting to see where it would go.

Jean huffed, smirking as he stood. "All right, sure. Makes no difference to me." Lio grabbed his arm and yanked him back down, slamming him onto the bench. "Oi! The hell-?"

"NO. I swear, you act like literal todlers. First day, and you want to get your lights punched out?!" Lio retorted, standing up and looking around the room. "We're all most likely gonna be stuck with each other for the rest of our lives, so can we _try_ to get along?"

It was then the bell rang, signaling the end of dinner and to return to the barracks for rest.

"Good. Now even if you wanted to you can't fight." The blue-haired male sighed, chomping down the rest of his bread.

"Goody two-shoes..." Jean muttered, freezing when Lio glared at him.

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It wasn't too bad of a fiasco, considering the events of Lio's life.

He sighed as he collapsed onto his lower bunk, his left leg sore and cramped. He was placed into a corner, away from everyone, and on his own, apart from his bunkmate, who hadn't shown up yet.

He quickly looked around, seeing if anyone was around, before pulling his pant leg up and removing the prothesis of his knee. He slid the metal leg under his bunk and pulled the puffy douvet over his body.

He didn't care if he was missing a leg. He was going to protect his friends. His family.

No law was going to stop that.


	2. ODM And Sparring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emilio starts training with ODM gear and reunites with his childhood friends, and watch as Eren tries to use ODM gear, and sparring with Reiner isn't exactly ideal with a metal foot.

Emilio laughed, his body twirling backward and his back connecting with the dusty floor as he spun around stupidly. His legs dangled in the air, being held up by the straps of sample ODM gear. He knew how to use them, being able to hold himself up for a long while, but it was fun to just become a bundle of limbs and twirl around like a tumbleweed.

"You look like an idiot," One of the cadets next to him huffing, a black-haired male with brown eyes, a basic cadet who hardly stuck out. Lio couldn't even remember his name. "You seriously want to join the ranks with skills like that?"

"Please, I know how to do it. I'm just having fun while I can." He retorted, pushing himself off the ground and balancing with ease. "You're just jealous I can actually do it. The cadet was wavering, obviously being able to stay in place, though with much difficulty. The other male tried to retort but then collapsed into a bundle of limbs as he lost his balance. "Told you."

"Seems like you're managing well," The other cadet next to Lio snickered. The blue-haired male turned, eyes widening as he laughed, seeing one of his closest friends next to him. Adele Wagner, another refugee from Shiganshina. With chocolate skin and orange eyes, being framed with dark-brown hair that went down nearly to her hips. Lastly was a pair of glasses, a new invention that helped improve vision. A recent invention, but greatly needed and quite the advancement.

"Dee! You're here? I expected you would choose the farms over death." Lio laughed, eyes gleaming with happiness and familiarity. Adele smiled, blushing slightly at the childhood nickname. "How's the training so far?"

"Kinda tricky. ODM Gear really can wear you down." She sighed, rubbing her shoulder. "Let me unhook you, so you can stop twirling like a carousel." Lio huffed, as he kept absently twirling in the base ODM.

"Did Luka join as well?" Lio asked the black-haired girl as she began to unhook the straps on his belt. "I haven't seen him yet if he did."

"Same here. Maybe we should look for him during lunch?" Adele recommended, unhooking Emilio from the ODM base, causing him to collapse onto the floor with a yelp. "How are your new friends doing?"

"You mean Jean?" Lio turned and looked in the direction where the male was. He was struggling to maintain balance but looked quite capable. "...He seems fine."

"What about the others? I heard that there were some others from Shiganshina in your dorm." Adele questioned, curious and slightly defensive over her friend.

"Oh, yea. Eren, Mikasa, Armin, along with Reiner, Bertholt, and Annie. Haven't talked to them yet, though. Maybe I can later." The blue-haired male replied. "Should we go look for Luka?"

"Sure. The faster we meet up, the faster we can- oh my god-" Adele froze, pointing behind Emilio to the farther east corner, behind Emilio's shoulder. "That poor Cadet." The blue-haired male turned around, quickly having to force down a laugh as he saw Eren hanging upside-down like laundry hanging to dry.

"Th-That's Eren- oh nooo..." He whined, clamping his hands over his mouth, stifling his own laughter. "Oh no, that is just-"

"God, we are fucked." Adele sighed, face-palming. "If that's the best Shiganshina can give us, I fear for humanity."

Emilio snorted, laughing quietly. Adele just sighed, rubbing his eyes and muttering some small prayers.

"Should we go find Luka now? Or do you want to keep watching this?" Lio chuckled, gesturing at Eren, who was getting screamed at by the Commandant.

"I honestly don't care," Adele grumbled. "You pick."

"Okay, let's go find Luka then." Emilio sighed, stifling his laughter. "I think he'll be over at the sparring pits or whatever they're called."

"They're Sparring Pits." Adele bluntly stated. "Quit second-guessing yourself."

"Thanks, Dee. My self-confidence has not changed." The blue-haired male chuckled, rubbing his neck.

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_My name is Emilio Karsten. I'm 18 years old, born November 1st, and I am the so-called "owner" of this Journal/Notebook. I'm writing this because depending on what my groupmates join, I'll either live with the Garrison or be sent to death with the Scouts. In order to defend my friends, I'll just join whatever the majority of them join. I grew up in Shiganshina, and my family was slaughtered by the Armored Titan. Everyone apart from me, and my Sister, Clove. I have two friends, Adele Wagner, and Luka Meyer. Everyone calls me Lio, or Wolf-Boy, due to my sharp teeth. Genetics was really weird for me, but I've gotten used to it. I mean, I have blue-hair, freckles, and two-colored eyes. Blue and red/purple. Pink? Don't really know, it's a mix between red and purple._

_Adele Wagner is a 17-year old nerd with muscles of doom. One kick or punch from her and expect to lose some teeth. She's incredibly smart and studies anything from titans to ODM gear in order to perfect them. She plans to join the Military Police or the Garrison Regiment, where it's safe. She doesn't want to die and lose all of her information that she's learned over the years. She plans to be some kind of teacher or scientist in the Garrison or Military Police. She was also born in Shiganshina, January 5th, and lost her dad during the failed recovery operation, and wants to help protect her sickly mother. I and Luka call her Dee, a nickname she is embarrassed about. She has void-black hair, Orange eyes, and chocolate skin, along with glasses._

_Luka Meyer was an upper-class male in the 104th Cadet Corps. With brown hair and faint tan skin, his green eyes glistening like emeralds. Despite his rich upbringing, he is a down-to-earth type of guy and enjoys giving and being an overall decent person. He plans on joining the Garrison and protecting his parent's in his hometown. He was born in Trost, July 13th, and raised comfortably, and ended up meeting me and Adele. He was a volunteer, handing out food to refugees. He's the one who's housing Clove while she's in her coma. Honestly, he's a godsend to me and Clove, Adele as well. He's been making sure that I've been able to live a comfortable life before I joined the corps, along with Adele._

_We're all part of the 104th Cadet Corps. We're training for the three separate Regiments, The Scout Corps, The Garrison Regiment, and The Military Police. I'll be keeping notes and diary entries on the kind of stuff that happens during training and daily events on whatever regiment I shall join. Maybe someone will find this journal after I'm gone and put it in a museum. "Soldier's Journal: The Notebook Of Emilio Karsten". That would mean I would actually do something if I end up as Titan Chow._

Emilio sat against one of the few oak trees that surrounded the sparring pits, writing in a journal he had bought before starting his training. Adele looked across the groups of fighters, trying to find any sign of Luka. Plenty of various soldiers and trainee's battled and duked it out in the pits, fists flying and kicks connecting with a heavy crunch. Lio swore he could see some of the cadet's start to bleed. He could easily feel his stomach drop, shivering slightly in fear.

"I have to get closer." Adele huffed, sliding down the hill that the tree was on, sliding into the sparring pits. "Emilio, follow."

"Wh-What? Oh god, Dee, if I lose a tooth..." Lio stuttered, slightly shocked but begrudgingly following after his friend. "How hard it is to find one guy?"

"When the so-called 'Guy' has brown hair and blends in with over half the corps, it's kinda difficult," Adele muttered while Lio nodded.

"Let's ask someone, then." Lio sighed, immediately turning to a nearby cadet. Black hair in low ponytails, and grey-black eyes. "Hey, have you seen someone going by the name of Luka Meyer?"

"Luka? I remember hearing someone mention that name over at the southern end." She replied, pointing behind Emilio.

"Thank you. Sorry for interrupting." He thanked quickly, grabbing Adele's arm and dragging her over to the southern end. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Whatever, we still have to find him, albeit in a much smaller area." She muttered, crossing her arms and looking around. "Try screaming his name or something."

"Good idea-" Emilio smiled, Adele immediately blocking his mouth with her own hand.

"No. It was a joke." Adele groaned, rubbing her temples. "Please, don't. You're already giving me a headache."

"Lio? Dee? Is that you?!" Luka's voice rang out from the sparring pits, causing the two to look up, seeing the male waving happily at his friends. He was hunched over slightly, resting a hand on his knee, shaking slightly. Dust and sand dusted his uniform, face, and hair, sweat beading down slowly. There was also a bruise on his face, which immediately sent alarm bells into Emilio's head.

"What the hell happened to you?! It's been ONE day!" Emilio felt himself yell, hurrying over to his friend and grasping his face, looking over the injury. Luka groaned slightly, huffing as he started getting his face jerked around. "Who did it?! Who's ass do I have to kick?!"

"I'm fine! I just fell down weird while sparing with one of my new friends-! Can you- OW! Let go-" Luka stuttered, yelping in pain as Emilio pulled his cheek, trying to get a better view of the bruise.

"Lio, calm down. God, you're so energetic sometimes, it can seriously be a pain." Adele groaned, pulling Emilio's hands away from Luka, pushing him away slightly. The blue-haired male huffed, crossing his arms.

"I'm just trying to protect him." He huffed, looking away bashfully. "Also, you said something about a new friend?"

"Yea, the guy I'm- well was, sparring with." Luka chuckled as a blonde-haired male walked up next to him.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked, rubbing his neck bashfully. Emilio recognized him as soon as he locked eyes with the cadet.

"Oh! Reiner! You were in Wall Maria, right?" He beamed, quickly having Luka and Adele's hands clamp over his mouth. Wall Maria and Shiganshina was a taboo subject nowadays, and Emilio was way too comfortable with the whole situation. He had "accepted" it, but most had not.

"I'm so sorry-" Luka began, shaking slightly. "He's just- eccentric? I dunno, just please forgive him-!"

"Dumbass- You're such a dumbass, _you're_ the one who will end up losing a tooth with how stupid you are-!" Adele reamed, eyes wide with rage and annoyance.

"I-It's fine? Don't worry, I'm fine with it now, but I'd prefer if you wouldn't bring that up." Reiner sighed, slightly embarrassed and confused as well. He had never seen a group of friends such as this. They were.... odd, to say the least.

"It's alright. We're all from there, too!" Emilio laughed, which caused Adele to smack the back of his head. "OW! What the-"

"I swear to god, you will be stabbed in an alley with how much of a dumbass you are!" She yelled, annoyed to high hell. "Do you not understand how bad of an effect that has on people?!"

"Sorry! Ow-! It's just- OW! Okay chill out and let me explain- OW!" Emilio whined as Adele kept whacking his arm. Hard. She could (and most likely would) knock your teeth out if you even looked at her funny. "You don't meet someone who was _there_ every day or so!"

Reiner felt very out of place. The trio was very close, and having just met them, felt awkward as he was interrupting their close-knit relationship.

"Okay, alright, can you _please_ stop hitting me?!" Lio yelped, being smacked again on the back of his head. "Sorry, Reiner, right? Dee usually hits me when I do something like this."

"Y-Yea. What's your name? Lio?" The blonde asked, giving an awkward smile.

"Emilio Karsten. Everyone calls me Lio, though." The blue-haired male gave Reiner a grin, carefree, and casual. "She's Adele Wagner. We call her Dee, though. I assume you've met Luka?"

"Yea. We've been sparring while you guys were on the ODM Basics." Luka explained, rubbing his neck with a soft smile. "How did you guys do?"

"We seem to have plenty of prodigies with us, but we saw one kid who was upside down," Adele noted, while Emilio snickered, remembering what he saw. "His name was Eren, right?"

"Yea, Eren Yeager. From _you know where,_ too." Lio sighed, giving an awkward smile as everyone tensed around him. "Poor kid, honestly. He looks like, what, 15? Plans on joining the Scouts, if he actually passes the classes."

"Okay, let's change the topic before we end up getting depressed." Luka chuckled quickly, interjecting with the sour mood. "Maybe we should get back to sparring before we get chewed out by Sadies, as well." He pointed to the top of the hill, as Commandant Sadies and some other high-ranking officials began to enter the sparring pits.

"What about a two-versus-two? They are four of us here, after all!" Lio suggested.

"Depends on who I'm put up against," Adele grumbled. "And my own teammate."

"Well, I'll go with you. Luka and Reiner have already been fighting with each other, so it seems logical that they should team up."

"Good idea. So me and Reiner against you and Dee?" Luka smirked, rubbing his cheek. 

"Seems fine with me." Reiner chuckled, crossing his arms with a slightly smug smile.

"Alright! Let's start the match!" Lio cheered, pumping his fists in the air.

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Adele and Emilio stood defensively, fists raised as Reiner and Luka prepared to attack. The air was tense as everyone was quiet, focused, and ready to fight.

Luka threw the first punch, his fist blocked by Adele's wrists as she defensively formed an X-shape with her arms. Adele and Luka kept changing and blocking punches, arms in a flurry of movement. Adele's leg quickly flew, interlocking with Luka's knees and pushing him over, face connecting with the sand. Luka rolled over as Adele's fist slammed into the sand where his chest would be, most likely would have knocked the wind out of him.

Emilio quickly charged ahead, his fist being deflected by Reiner's arm. He stumbled around, quickly blocking Reiner's blow with his arms as he tumbled onto his ass. The blonde's fist flew down to Lio's chest, making the blue-haired male yelp as he rolled out of the way, stumbling onto his feet again. A quick punch to Reiner's shoulder quickly gave him some breathing room; the blonde quickly caught off guard by the attack.

_Don't get cocky! That's the main reason you've lost spars, Lio!_

Luka swept his legs, knocking Adele over onto her rear as the two quickly got into a scuffle, the brunette pinning Adele on her back. The black-haired girl responded with an elbow to Luka's gut, and grabbing the arm that had pinned her neck, and swung him over his shoulder. Luka sputtered, his lungs pushing any air inside of them out from the impact. Adele's knee quickly pinned his neck, giving him room to breathe. She had won the match.

Emilio and Reiner kept exchanging punches, easily matched with each other, but while Reiner had more brawn and physical strength, Lio had an advantage with his agility Luka and Adele we're matched as well, both with speed and agility on their side, but Adele had a slight advantage with her powerful strikes. The blue-haired male stumbled back, wrists and arms stinging with the constant barrage of punches. Reiner took the advantage and gave a quick punch in the chest, knocking the wind out of Lio's lungs as he collapsed onto his back. Wheezing, Lio quickly rolled over again as the blonde tried to pin him down, Reiner nearly collapsing in the sand.

_Dammit...! He's good! I may actually lose!_

Emilio couldn't take much more of Reiner's blows. His wrists felt like mush, and he was running out of stamina. The blonde gave him a shock as his legs swept under Lio's knocking him onto his back. Lio's eyes widened as Reiner quickly pinned his arms down, smirking victoriously. The blue-haired male panicked, his pride refusing to let him loose. Emilio didn't even realize what he did until his foot kneed Reiner's crotch.

His _prosthesis_ foot.

He didn't process what he did until Reiner collapsed, rolling to the side of Lio, groaning loudly.

_Oh fuck-_

Luka broke out in laughter, wheezing loudly, while Adele stifled her own laughter, covering her mouth with both her hands. Luka hunched over, clutching his gut and wheezing.

_I'm so dead._


	3. Sizing Us Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While treating the injuries suffered from sparring, and watching Eren fail at ODM again, Luka and Adele end up meeting Reiner's friends.

Emilio and Reiner kept exchanging punches, easily matched with each other, but while Reiner had more brawn and physical strength, Lio had an advantage with his agility Luka and Adele we're matched as well, both with speed and agility on their side, but Adele had a slight advantage with her powerful strikes. The blue-haired male stumbled back, wrists and arms stinging with the constant barrage of punches. Reiner took the advantage and gave a quick punch in the chest, knocking the wind out of Lio's lungs as he collapsed onto his back. Wheezing, Lio quickly rolled over again as the blonde tried to pin him down, Reiner nearly collapsing in the sand.

_Dammit...! He's good! I may actually lose!_

Emilio couldn't take much more of Reiner's blows. His wrists felt like mush, and he was running out of stamina. The blonde gave him a shock as his legs swept under Lio's knocking him onto his back. Lio's eyes widened as Reiner quickly pinned his arms down, smirking victoriously. The blue-haired male panicked, his pride refusing to let him loose. Emilio didn't even realize what he did until his foot kneed Reiner's crotch.

His _prosthesis_ foot.

He didn't process what he did until Reiner collapsed, rolling to the side of Lio, groaning loudly.

_Oh fuck-_

Luka broke out in laughter, wheezing loudly, while Adele stifled her own laughter, covering her mouth with both her hands. Luka hunched over, clutching his gut and wheezing.

_I'm so dead._

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"I am _SO_ sorry, Reiner..." Emilio muttered, handing him an ice pack for his groin. Luka kept laughing, while Adele bandaged his wrists to help cover the bruises given to him. Reiner just took the ice pack, hunched over in agony, nodding slowly.

"Good god, Lio, I didn't expect you to play dirty like that!" Luka wheezed, clutching his gut, still roaring with laughter, even nearing 20 minutes after the incident. Adele was muttering how idiotic all the men in the cadet corps were, and that she was likely the only smart one there. "I think he's not gonna be able to have any kids, good lord..."

"Shut the fuck up, it was an accident!" Lio snapped, causing Adele to snort.

"Like you bitting my arm when play-fighting?" She huffed, pulling up her sleeve and showing a circular, jagged scar, very faint in her forearm. 

"I was 10. I was young and stupid." The blue-haired male retorted.

"You're still young," Lio was 15, "And still stupid." Adele sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Rude." He huffed, crossing his arms and looking away bashfully. "I'm not that young! 3 years, and I'll be a legal adult!"

"Yea, and then we'll become titan fodder." Luka chuckled, earning a whack on the back of his head from Adele. "Hey! Ow! It's a joke!"

"Honestly, I don't get how you two can joke about Titans and Shiganshina." She sighed, rubbing her temples with annoyance. "Those are very taboo topics!"

"Coping mechanisms, honestly." Luka sighed, tying the bandage on his wrists, his tan skin contrasting with the white wrappings. "It's like when people laugh after surviving a near-death experience."

"That makes sense." Lio chuckled, patting Reiner's back. "Feeling better?"

"No. Honest to god, is your foot made of stone?!" The blonde wheezed, making the blue-haired male tense.

Lio wasn't going to tell anyone about his prosthesis, mainly due to most "one-armed" or "one-footed" soldiers then forced to become farmers.

Some feeling in his gut refused to be silenced. Some longing, some wanting for something. He did not want to sit down, to stay still; he wanted to go outside, and explore.

That meant hiding his foot.

"I kick like a mule, apparently. It's usually my teeth that do the most damage..." Lio joked, rubbing his neck and looking away awkwardly. "I'm still super sorry, by the way! I just panicked and my foot moved-"

"It's fine," Reiner's voice cut Emilio off, much to his own shock. "It just shows that you have the drive, meaning that even if you are pinned, you'll still keep fighting. You'll make a great soldier." The blonde's smile made Emilio's chest fill with warmth. He chuckled awkwardly, looking away bashfully. The trio quickly began chatting, Emilio however, staying silent, looking at his hands.

His mind curiously wondered about Reiner's wording. "You'll". You will. As if it was fate to happen.

He felt a tinge of fear as he wondered what monster would end up cornering him like a scared animal.

His gut dropped when he envisioned an armored giant looking down on him, pale yellow eyes piercing his chest and steam clouding his vision.

The blue-haired male shivered, distracting himself by joining the conversation with Reiner and his two friends about soldiers and fighting tactics. Ways of sparring and new tricks that would be useful for hand-to-hand combat against armed combatants. 

The sick, twisted coil in Emilio's gut refused to settle, however, an immense unease filling his body.

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_Sparred with Reiner today. Be sure to NOT use legs when fighting for fun._

Lio noted the incident in his logs and followed after the trio, as they hurried to the mess hall. Passing the ODM training gear, the group noticed a familiar group of teens on one of the farther machines. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa.

"Hey, isn't that scout kid?" Luka noted, pointing at the kids as Eren was hooked up to the device. "He's also from _you know where_ right?" 

"Oh god, yea..." Adele sighed, crossing her arms with disappointment. "He's determined, I'll give him that."

"What happened?" Reiner asked, rubbing his neck as the group stopped to watch the teens.

"He completely failed ODM training. Was dangling upside-down like laundry." Lio explained, hissing softly as he remembered the whole scene. "He really wants to kill those titans, huh..."

"Everyone copes differently," Luka stated, shoving his hands into his pockets. "We joke about the whole thing. Dee and Reiner prefer to not think about it. Eren apparently goes for revenge."

"Yea. Do you ever wonder what would happen to us if Wall Maria didn't fall?" Adele muttered aloud as Eren was hoisted up with the ODM machine, quickly wobbling wildly. Lio was about to reply, but Eren flew forward, head slamming into the stone floor, causing everyone to groan and hiss unanimously. "Oh shit-"

"That looked like it hurt." Reiner hissed, covering his mouth.

"How is he that bad?!" Luka awed, hands gesturing at Mikasa and Armin as they frantically ran over to Eren, who wasn't moving.

"Holy shit, that might not be good-" Lio muttered, hurrying over to Eren as he pulled some bandages out of his pockets. "Hey! Eren! Are you okay?!" Mikasa and Armin looked at him confused and shocked, the girl immediately defensive, pulling Eren closer.

"E-Eren just hit the floor! Hard, d-do you have any bandages?!" Armin stuttered wildly, eyes widen and shaking.

"Yea, here," The blue-haired male kneeled, pulling out the wrappings he had and handing them to Mikasa. "I understand if you don't trust me, so you can do it-" The black-haired girl snatched the bandages and quickly began to tend to Eren's wound. "We should get him to the medical ward, though. We aren't professionals."

"Good idea," Mikasa stated bluntly, handing back the bandages once she finished wrapping Eren's head. 

"Here, can you help us carry him over?" Armin asked sheepishly, while Lio was already hosting Eren onto his back, piggy-back style. Emilio didn't look powerful, but he could easily carry lots of weight, and carrying Eren would be a walk in the park. "Th-Thank you... uh, what's your name?"

"Lio. Lio Karsten; and don't worry about it! We're all gonna be training together for a while, so it'll be better if I do help!" The blue-haired male laughed. "Anyways, Mikasa, right? You lead the way! My sense of direction is trash..."

"...Okay." She huffed, the trio hurrying over to the medical ward.

"Lio is honestly too kind. If he isn't strong enough to pass training, let him flunk out." Adele sighed, watching Lio carry Eren off to the medical ward.

"Dee..." Luka huffed, his eyes flashing with a slight annoyance and sorrow. "Cmon, he just wants to be nice."

"Why help the weak? If Eren isn't strong enough to be a soldier, why would they waste supplies on him?" Adele sighed, crossing her arms.

"Reiner! There you are!" A voice called from behind the group, everyone turning to see a group of three hurrying over to the trio, calling the blonde's name.

The first was a tall (taller than Reiner, which was saying something, as the blonde was 6 feet tall), yet thin male, with short black hair and matching black eyes, wearing the classic cadet uniform and a black t-shirt. The only reason he stuck out was due to his height, 6'2". His eyes were filled with worry, glancing over at the bandages on Reiner's wrists, and the state of the other two onlookers.

The second was a very short, and very pale cadet, barely passing the height of 5'3. With shiny white hair, tied up tightly in a long ponytail. Red eyes pierced Luka and Adele, thin with annoyance and slight anger. They wore a long black turtleneck; sleeves hanging over his palms and reaching halfway down to their thumbs in length. He seemed quiet, and Luka swore he couldn't even hear him breathe.

The third was a tall, and lean woman, with dull chocolate skin and big orange eyes. Red hair was parted and hung out of her face, messily bunched up at the ends, where it was hastily chopped, most likely with a sword or some type of knife. A loose, dull green tanktop was under her uniform. Her hands were stuffed into her pockets, her face wrinkled in annoyance as she saw Reiner with the two other cadets. She walked calmly, as if this was normal, which gave Adele a tinge of fear for both Reiner and this mystery woman.

"Are you okay?! What happened?" The black-haired male asked, gasping slightly for air as the two other mystery cadets stood next to him. Luka noted how they hardly glanced at Reiner; only looking at his two companions. 

_They're sizing us up._ Luka realized, silently glancing over the newly arrived trio. _Seeing if we have any visible weaknesses. How odd._

"Just a sparring match that went wrong, nothing too serious." The blonde chuckled, rubbing his neck in a mix of awkwardness and bashfulness. "How are you, Bertholt?"

"Are they some of your friends?" Adele asked bluntly, crossing her arms and tilting her head in slight confusion. She noticed how they glanced at her face, most likely her glasses.

 _I know they're a new invention, but god, where are your manners?_ She thought, slightly irritated for the lack of decency. _It's not like a have a third eye._

"Yea, Bertholt and I came from the same village in Wall Maria," Reiner explained, pointing to the black-haired male. "We meet Ebony and Johanna while in the refugee programs." Ebony was the albino, and Johanna was the chocolate-skinned woman. "Everyone, this is Adele Wagner and Luka Meyer."

"Nice to meet you!" Bertholt gave a soft smile, that honestly would melt anyone's heart.

"Hello." Ebony coldly sighed, rubbing his tired, red eyes.

"Greetings, you two." Johanna bowed quickly, respectfully, and calm.

"So, what happened to you exactly?" Ebony asked, gesturing to the assorted bandages on his wrists, and the few on Adele and Luka. "You look like hell."

"Sparring got out of hand. Probably boosted our defense, though." Luka chuckled, rubbing his neck bashfully, and giving an awkward smile. "How about you? How was your day?"

"Learning smoke signals and technical stuff for our group, today." Johanna sighed, crossing her arms. "Black for abnormal titans, Red for failed mission or titans, and yellow for success."

"It honestly depends on what regiment you decide to join. Scouts have to learn the most signals, from what I've seen so far." Bertholt added, an aura of anxiousness radiating off of him.

"...He doesn't have many friends, does he?" Luka chuckled, which caused the former to yelp in shock.

"H-Hey wait a sec-! It's not that bad-!"

"Dude, you have no clue how to talk to people, do you?"

"I-I do! What are-"

"Relax, man. I'm just messing around."

"H-Huh?"

Reiner was visibly annoyed.

Johanna had a hard scowl on her face.

Ebony was indifferent, face remaining cold and calm.

Bertholt was red, rubbing his neck with embarrassment.

Adele sighed, rubbing her temples as she pushed her glasses up over her face.

Luka chuckled, stretching his bandaged arms in a nonchalant way.

"Luka, you need to stop toying with people." Adele sighed, pulling her glasses back onto her nose. "It's not funny, and it makes you look like a jerk."

"What? Messing with people shows that you honestly have no worries." He chuckled, crossing his arms, eyes glancing over to the former. "It means they can relax around us. I saw them staring us down before Bertie here even called for Reiner."

Johanna grumbled while Ebony tensed slightly. Bertholt chuckled slightly, pushing his hands into his pockets.

"Alright, let's go get some grub, okay?" Luka suggested, hands resting on the back of his head, his eyes glazed with a calm shine. "I'm starving, and I wanna know about Reiner's crew."


	4. Caged With Animals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Willy Tybur and Lance Wolf discuss the possibility of a long lost brother trapped with devils over some drinks when a letter addressed 2 years ago finally arrives.

The classical music and fancy wallpaper did little to calm the black-haired male's nerves, as he pushed past assorted maids and assistants as he speed-walked down the hall, on the verge of exploding and forgoing any sense of manners or decency, and full-on running down the hall and kicking the door in. He wanted to in his opinion, but the lessons and teachings were drilled into his brain, and it was chained to his body, refusing to let go.

That meant he had to walk, even with the urgency of the news he had.

The male's head was racing, thoughts bouncing around in a train wreck of emotion and memories, threatening to send him into another crying fit (he had had more than he could count already, and he did not want to break down in the hall of his friend's home) and force him to stop. His fists clenched, constantly abusing his palms and skin, nearing the threshold of ripping into the flesh and causing him to bleed. Everything was in chaos, and he just had to get to the door.

As the male shoved open the door, the family that resided in the lounge froze, slightly in shock at the sudden intrusion. Eyes glanced around, looking for someone specific, someone who (much to his annoyance) _wasn't_ there.

His voice was raspy and dry as he coughed out one sentence.

"Where is Willy Tybur?"

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"Care to explain why you have decided to burst into my home, into my lounge, disrupt my family, and all to talk in private?" The Tybur Head asked as he closed his office door. The black-haired male collapsed into one of the comfy chairs, adorned with plush; wood and gold trim supporting his weight. His breathing waivered, hand clutching his air as he pushed it up; bangs falling out of his face as his blown-out eyes glanced at his friend. "...Did you run all the way here?"

"Sadly, yes..." He wheezed, letting his bangs fall against his face as his hand collapsed on the armrest. "Father is out on a company party, going to make a new deal with the military for weapons-"

"Here, let me get you some water before you continue." Willy's voice cut off his friend as he opened the door, quickly sending off a servant nearby to fetch some. "You ran how many miles? Your home is supposed to be across the city!"

"It _is_ across the city." The black-haired male wheezed, shaking from loss of stamina. "It's just- fuck manners, this is insane..." He swore as the servant returned with a pitcher of clear ice water and two glasses. 

"Tell me when you get some water into your system, Wolf." Willy sighed, pouring a glass of the liquid and handing it to his friend.

Lance Wolf gladly drank down the clear liquid, his mismatched eyes wide and shaking as he let out a weird noise, a gasp mixed with laughter.

"Jericho. He could be alive." He laughed, pushing his bangs back again, repeating the action as his nervous tic. Willy froze, eyes widening in shock as he sat in the chair across from Lance. "I-I'm just as shocked as you are, and I'm not sure even if I believe it."

"But your brother disappeared when you were 16. It's been, what, 5-6 years? What makes you so sure that he could be alive?" The blonde asked, taking a sip of his own drink. His navy eyes wavered, sparkling with a mix of hope and shock. "Do you even know any details about him yet? Is he okay?"

"I wish..." Lance sighed, rubbing his temples in concern and woe. "He is being held with devil's."

"He was captured by Eldians?" The former awed, shaking his head in dismay. "How pitiful. Anything else?"

"Not much. It was an unmarked envelope, tossed under my door. Sealed with wax and a strange symbol pushed into it." Lance explained, ruffling into his jacket pocket and pulling the said envelope out. The white paper was torn with quick care, wax stamp intact on the fold. Willy grabbed the envelope, looking over the wax seal. The insignia ingrained on the wax was of a shield with two swords across the center. The blonde's heart dropped as he recognized where the seal was from.

"Th...This is-" He stuttered, eyes wide as he covered his mouth in shock and woe. "I-Is he-?"

"Yes. Jericho is trapped inside of Paradis Island." Lance huffed, pulling the letter out as well. "This was what the letter stated. I believe Jericho didn't write it, but one of my spies has managed to find him."

"What does it say?" The blonde questioned, eyes shaking with fear. Part of him didn't want to know. Trapped on an island with devils, he could only imagine the horrors that lay there.

"That's what is worse. It was written two years ago. He could already be dead, for all we know." The black-haired male sighed, his voice strained with sadness. "It arrived this late due to distance and the need to be smuggled out, and along with the warriors."

"What about the warriors? Are they well?" Willy questioned, curious, and even more worried. "Did the plan take effect yet?"

"Sadly not. According to the letter, Marcel was killed. Eaten by a titan. However, Stage 1 of our invasion has worked. Wall Maria has fallen." Lance grumbled, rubbing his temples with sorrow and mourning, yet mixed with a tinge of joy at the success of stage one, at the cost of the Jaw Titan. "I'll notify the military tomorrow, along with Porco and any other remaining family."

"Marcel's parents are still alive. I can help them set up a funeral." Lance's friend sighed, rubbing his eyes as he took another swig of his water. He questioned if he should have asked for scotch or wine. "Yet, it is good that our plan is working. Now, what about Jericho?"

"I was just getting to that. Apparently, he is living inside the walls." The black-haired male sighed, rubbing his temples with slight concern. "He survived the fall of Wall Maria, albeit according to the letter, with some severe injuries, but he should recover."

"How did they know it was even Jericho? It could have been some mirage or-" The blonde tried to reason, not believing the sheer absurdity of it all.

"You can't exactly talk to a mirage. Apparently, our spy bumped into him while receiving food as a refugee." Lance sighed, looking over the letter for what felt like the 100th time that night. "He hasn't changed much. Same hair, eyes, and same teeth. Not much information, but it was definitely him."

"So, Jericho is trapped on Paradis Island?" Willy muttered, his voice barely a whisper as he began to process what was happening. "Trapped... with those devils?"

"Yes. The letter states as if he is 'caged by animals'." Lance muttered, rubbing his arm and looking at the floor. "The good news is that our spy has decided to follow him, and hopefully convince the Warriors to spare him and bring him back without harm."

"What are the chances that the Warriors even believe the spy?" The blonde muttered, voice wavering as all of the things that could go wrong filled his brain. 

"Paradis is a closed-off area. From the letter, our spy states that it's pretty old-fashioned, and behind the times." The black-haired male rubbed his eyes, looking at the floor as he slouched over. "They hardly even know about outside politics and other civilizations."

"They did seal themselves off... how long ago was it, now?" The other male questioned, taking another sip of his water. "A century ago?"

"743. It's 847 now... so you're correct. 104 years ago." Lance specified, old history lessons of the past coming to memory. "It makes you wonder what life would be like if it wasn't closed off, or left the Great Titan War."

Silence befell the two men inside of the office.

"...How old would he be now? If Jericho was here?" Willy questioned, voice quiet with unease. With all of the discussion centered around topics and a boy thought dead for over 6 years, anyone would. 

"He'd be 15 right now. That means the letter was written when he was 13. He disappeared when he was 9." Lance sighed, his fangs glinting in the light. "I would have been 20 when the letter was written. I'm 22 now, of course."

"Great, now I feel old." Willy chuckled, rubbing his temples.

"You're only, what, 23? 25? You're not that old." Lance retorted, taking a sip of his water.

"Trust me, you feel old when you're a public figure and have to make important decisions for Marley." The blonde replied, a soft grin on his face. "I feel like I'm in my late 30's right now."

"Yikes. I'm not gonna look forward to my dad kicking the bucket, then." The former male retorted, chuckling.

"What- Why would you look forward to such a thing?!" Willy's eyes went wide as he felt himself laugh out of shock.

"I get the business, which means I can finally start modernizing more." Lance retorted, finishing his water. "I mean, our weapons are good, but there are so many better ways to make them nowadays!"

"Well then why doesn't he do them?" The friend asked, crossing his arms in amusement. "Your father, I mean."

"Look, I love the old man, but he is as stubborn as a mule." The black-haired male snickered, shaking his head. "He thinks that his way: is the best way. _It works fine, so why risk the change?_ God, the thick-headed walrus of a man he is..."

"I'm pretty sure that stubbornness also rubbed off on you and your brother. Remember when Jericho broke into the Warrior Training Camp?" Willy laughed, remembering when Lance burst into his room and said that Jericho had escaped.

"Oh gods, don't remind me about that..." Lance groaned, hiding his face in his hands. "Not my proudest moment, okay?"

"You threatened to beat up the guards at the gate if they didn't let you in." The blonde chuckled. "I remember how embarrassed your father was as he tried to hold you back. Whatever did happen to Jericho when he was in there?"

"Apparently, he fought one of the candidates, won, and became friends with a few of them." The other male snickered, shaking his head. "Not Zeke though, definitely not."

"Oooh, that's what he meant by that story. He assumed that Jericho was another Warrior Candidate?" Willy remarked, recalling Zeke's story about a candidate that got kicked out on his first day. "Did he even have one of those armbands?"

"Maybe he stole it. The details are kinda mixed due to how long ago it was." The younger replied, looking at his empty glass. "Do you have any alcohol? Like, I could take whiskey at this point; I just need something. Literally anything."

"I have a few bottles of Scotch and Whiskey in my drawer." The blonde noted, getting up and walking over to the large wooden desk, adorned with gold trim and glazed to shine. Expensive.

"Hidden stash? Or just a booze drawer?" Lance snickered, pushing his bangs back again, a habit or some nervous tic. 

"Honestly a bit of both." His friend chuckled, opening the bottom drawer and pulling out a glass bottle of one of the two alcohols. Lance didn't bother to read the label, only focusing as Willy handed him the bottle to pour his own glass. "It isn't easy to drink when you have cousins and younger siblings nearly everywhere in the house."

"Mhm." Lance hummed, taking a sip of the orange liquid, the pleasant burn in his throat giving him a quick buzz. "I get that. My dad was the one who taught me about secret stashes for a quick shot when kids are around."

"Of course he would." The older male chuckled, taking a sip of his own drink. "Despite being quite the stellar businessman, he is quite... unfit, to be a parent, so to speak."

"That's why he married my mom." The black-haired male chuckled, rubbing his temples. "He left her to do all of the household and parenting stuff, while he made us money."

"You don't resent him for that? Not being in your life?" The blonde questioned, slightly intrigued.

"Oh, he was plenty in our lives." Lance retorted, taking another gulp of Scotch. "They really only married out of convenience, honestly. He wanted heirs to his business, and she wanted money. They were friends before everything and decided to work together to get what they each wanted. It was purely out of convenience for the two of them, but she still loved us."

"Hmm." Willy took another gulp of his drink, intrigued. "Didn't know the Wolf Family was so... scandalous."

"Says the Tybur who's hiding the Warhammer Titan." Lance chuckled, gulping the rest of his glass. "Also, on the topic of scandalous, you should see what stuff the media prints about us."

"Oh god, do I even want to know..." The blonde rubbed his temples, causing the younger male to laugh.

"It's just paparazzi stuff, the things they print on the bottom corners of magazines to get people to buy them." Lance laughed, shaking his head as he poured himself another drink. "My father was livid about the whole thing, and even threatened to sue the companies for defamation. Haven't heard a peep since."

"Well, thank you for dealing with that for me, then." The friend finished his drink, navy eyes glazing with the buzz of alcohol. "What do I owe you, then?"

"I like that fancy brand of Whiskey. What was it, _Sunset's Eve_?" Lance chuckled, scratching his chin. "A few bottles of those will work."

"You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Wolf." The Tybur chuckled, shaking his head. "But I accept. You should expect them within a few days."

"Pleasure doing business, Mr. Tybur." Lance snickered, taking another gulp of his drink.

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"For fuck's sake..." Lance groaned, wearily waking up, hungover on a couch he most definitely didn't own.

For one, the couch plush was red, and his father loathed the color red.

Second, why would he even sleep on a couch when he had a bed to sleep in?

Third, he recognized the blurry wallpaper as the same wallpaper as Willy's office.

The black-haired male slouched upward, his head ringing with pain as he rubbed his temples. His black hair was loose and stuck in a messy and loose ponytail, sticking to any exposed skin that was shinning with sweat. He was sure that his bags had worsened, and that his skin had paled even more. His dress shirt was messily wrinkled and unbuttoned, half-hanging of his shoulder and un-tucked from his pants. His tie and belt were somewhere on the floor, and everything was sore. Collapsing again, his head connected with plush pillows that made his head swim, slightly calming his pounding headache. His arms hung on the floor, grabbing loosely until his fingers grazed a velvet blanket, which had fallen to the floor as well. Hoisting it up, he wrapped himself in the cloth, closing his eyes as the warm sun peeked through closed curtains. It was only until a few quick knocks at the door stirred him again, much to his dismay.

"Mhm... Fuck off..!" Lance slurred, burying himself deeper in the blankets as the door opened. 

"Relax, Lance. It's me." Willy's voice seemed to soothe the pounding in his head, as he turned around to see his friend. "You look terrible. Did you get sick from the rain last night?"

"...was raining?" The younger muttered, eyes puffy and squinted. He didn't even recall rain last night. Was he that distracted about the letter?

"Indeed." The older male sighed, placing a tray of something on the table behind his head. The blonde knelt next to his friend, sighing as he looked over the state he was in. "Should I call your father to come to get you?"

"I'd probably puke in his carriage, but go on." The sick male muttered, covering his eyes with his arm.

"You're definitely sick. You're even paler than usual." Willy remarked, ruffling his friend's hair playfully. "I'll tell Mr. Wolf that you'll be staying with me for a little longer due to unforeseen circumstances."

"...ou're so fucking cheesy..." Lance muttered, moving his arm to glance at his friend. "Always being proper n' shit..." He felt his voice die out as he locked eyes with his friend.

Willy's hair was messily tied up in a bun, his hair was still parted in half, framing his face with a golden halo. His navy eyes were gleaming with slight sorrow and the calming sparkle they always held. His skin was a bright tan, and slightly red at his cheeks and nose.

He looked like an angel.

"...you're a saint," Lance muttered, turning around and bundling up in his blanket nest, hiding the small smile that covered his face. 

_He’s a guardian angel._

Willy chuckled softly, ignorant of his friend's internal rantings and loathings, most likely giving his friend his soft smile that he was well-known for. He kept his hand in his friend's hair, giving him a comforting warmth that helped dull the throbbing pains in his mind.

"What did I ever do to deserve you..." Lance chuckled, eyes blurred as a sudden wave of soreness and aches filled his body. “Ow- you’re honestly... honest to god, a guardian angel for me.”

"You simply needed a friend." Willy smiled, remembering how they met. It was after Jericho had disappeared, along with their mother. Lance was inconsolable, hiding in his room and crying for hours on end. His father, worrying about his now only son's mental health, started trying to introduce him to new people, hoping to make a new friend for Lance.

It took a few tries (mainly because his father's friends all had entitled and idiotic brats), but eventually, he had met Willy Tybur, heir to the Tybur Estate and Name.

Lance never understood what made him like Willy. Maybe it was his charismatic personality. Maybe it was his smile that made Lance's heart melt. Maybe it was just the need for someone to talk to again.

Either way, the two became friends ever since Lance was 16, and Willy was 19.

"You were quite emotional back then," The blonde chuckled, pushing a stray hair out of Lance's face. "Always crying at the slightest thing that went wrong."

"I wasn't in the best place, then," Lance muttered, feeling his face redden. "You were always there for me, and for that I thank you."

"It was no problem. You were one of the only people who treated me like a person, not like a king." Willy remarked, sitting down and giving his knee's a break. "It was nice."

"You're nice." Lance chuckled, words just falling out his mouth. He felt himself redden, even more, blood rushing to his face. He heard Willy stutter, before chuckling softly, patting his friend's head.

"Same as you, little wolf." The blonde flirted, much to Lance's embarrassment.

"Dick." He yelped, pulling the blanket over his head as he screamed internally. He never was one for compliments, always being defensive when even the smallest appreciation to him was shown.

He heard Willy's laugh behind him, smiling as he watched Lance enter a flustered panic.

"I left some painkillers and water on the desk. If you need food, ask one of the servants nearby, okay?" The blonde's voice only sent Lance's heart into another panic.

"...kay..." The ravenette muttered, face flush with shades of pink and red.

He heard the squeak of the floorboards finally the closing of the door.

Lance shoved his face into his pillow as he chuckled softly, pleasant memories of the two friends filling his mind, and driving out the dull thuds of pain ringing in his brain.

_He truly is an guardian angel. Marley’s guardian angel._


	5. The Beast and The Mist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ebony reflects on their previous life in Marley as they connect with Zeke before leaving for Paradis Island.
> 
> (TW) Trigger Warning!: Suicidal Thoughts! Depression! LOTS of Scars!

**TW: Suicidal Thoughts! Depression! Scars/Scarring!**

**This chapter gets dark! Please skip if you are uncomfortable!**

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Allister Weib would be dead tomorrow.

The white-haired and red-eyed child would disappear from Marley and never return.

The Albino Warrior would be eaten and killed by Devils-Turned-Titans.

Maybe it would be better this way.

Maybe it would be better for them to die, anyway.

They couldn't heal like the other Warriors. 

Their Titan couldn't fight.

They couldn't do anything. The only reason they got in was due to Marcel gaslighting his own brother.

Why couldn't they just die already?

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Allister started their empty gaze out the window, overlooking the sunset that arced across Liberio for the last time. They enjoyed the cool, windy breeze for the last time before he would die.

_Maybe I should jump off. Would that be less painful than being eaten? Of course, it would._

They looked over the balcony, estimating the drop's length.

_No. It's only 10-12 feet. I would end up being found. This whole place is guarded, someone would definitely find me if I didn't die._

They sighed, backing away and collapsing against one of the plush chairs, blocking his eyes with his bandaged forearm. The white uniform of a Marley Warrior blended with the white gauze, red streaks soaking the white wrappings. They should have felt something, sorrow, pain, angst, anything.

That was the problem. They couldn't feel anything. Any emotion they showed was fake. Maybe they should have become an actor. With how well they faked emotions, they could easily become a star, even if they were an Eldian.

No. Wait. They were an Eldian. Everyone hates Eldians. Even Eldians themselves. Devils.

Why did they have to be born? Being born as a roach would be better than this. At least roaches could fly. If he was a roach he could fly away from titans. The dumb monsters themselves wouldn't even go after them, too.

It was a knock at their door that stirred them from their darkened thoughts, that pushed them towards the balcony. The albino turned to already see the door opening and closing, and their eyes seemed to soften as they saw who had entered.

"Hello, Zeke." Their voice wavered as the older male entered the balcony, standing aimlessly next to the other warrior. "What brings you here so late?"

"Was curious if you were still planning your suicide at Paradis." The blonde replied, adjusting his glasses as he rested his arms on the balcony railing. "What about you?"

"Questioning if jumping would be better than being eaten," Allister replied, scratching their bandaged arms. "Already deduced that if I did, I wouldn't die, or I would most likely be caught with both of my legs broken."

"Why not land on your head?" The Beast Titan suggested, aimlessly staring into the sky. "Break you neck, nearly instant death."

"Fair." Alistair sighed, looking down again. "But if I did that, I would seem like a coward. If I get eaten, it's likely that It'll be seen as an accident or a sacrifice."

"Also true." The blonde muttered, not paying much attention to the questions.

"...How old are we again?" Allister questioned after a few seconds of silence. "You're what, 18 now? That makes me... 13."

"I thought you were 12." Zeke chuckled, glancing at the shorter male. "Some may even think you are still in single-digits."

"Good. More pity points for me when I die." They snickered, watching the sky with lifeless eyes. "So, you're gonna stay in Marley with Pieck, right? Defend against foreign nations and whatnot?"

"Yes. You've been told this plan how many times now?" Zeke groaned softly, slightly amused and slightly annoyed.

"47, but who's counting." The albino sighed, rubbing their eyes in a daze. "...What would happen if I didn't die..."

"I thought you were set on being eaten by a titan."

"I know that, but what if I didn't? What if I came back?"

"I don't know. Be treated as a hero?"

"With my pathetic Titan? The only thing it can do is puke mist."

"Have you ever tried to experiment with it?"

"What-?"

"Have you ever tried changing things? Trying new ideas of what your powers are, testing the limits of your speed and strength, along with all of that nonsense." 

"You think they haven't done that already? That's what I've been doing for WEEKS!" The albino collapsed onto their plush chair again, an exaggerated flourish as they slouched like a sack of flour. "Even if I did, everyone else is focused on the Titan Shifters with more 'potential' and just forget about me. I'm one of the most useless Warriors in Marley."

Zeke stayed silent, entering the room and crossing his arms, pondering what to do. Even he was stuck at the end.

"If I die, someone better than me can take my titan, and I can be forgotten." The albino's voice wavered, to want to cry overpowering his senses. He didn't shed a tear, however. He couldn't even cry. It only reminded him about how he couldn't feel anything, the gaping emptiness of emotion making them feel numb. "I just want to die."

"Don't worry. The ship leaves tomorrow, remember? You get sent off on a parade of cheers and honor. You can die as a hero." Zeke sighed, sitting down in the opposite chair of his albino friend.

"Yea, yea. I'm putting you in charge of my memorial. Put up a picture and some flowers, and I'll be good to go." Allister chuckled, blocking his eyes with his bandaged arm, patches of pink and red staining the linen. "Thanks for letting me vent about... you know. Being hated by society and being empty inside."

"I can relate. We're both devils, remember?" Zeke added, adjusting his glasses, cyan eyes piercing the albino.

"Yea. Eldians hated by society." Allister sighed, glancing at his friend with dull, lifeless eyes.

Demons. That's what they were. That's what they would always be.

Nothing would change that.

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Ebony sighed, feeling the sun peek at their dull, red eyes, and pale skin. The window opened slightly, a cool breeze flowing into the barracks, right where their head was. Groaning, and blocking their eyes with their arm. Faint scars littered the appendage, a sign of failure for them.

The numbness in their heart never stopped, and now yearned for some kind of emotion more than ever. They hated it, the rigid gap in their chest, their body. They wanted to sleep and never wake up.

However, they had a job, a favor owed, and they had to see it through.

_It should have been me, Marcel. Not you._

_I wish I could join you, but I owe them a favor. I can't die yet. I made a promise, and I have to see it through._

_Just know: I'm not leaving this Island alive, and that is a fact._

Ebony wondered why they didn't cry. Everyone else- Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, Johanna -All cried when remembering Marcel. Why not them? Why didn't they shed a single tear in memory of their fallen comrade?

It was because they never felt anything. They couldn't. Every emotion they showed was fake.

They groaned, shuffling up out of the worn bed, blankets pooling on the floor. The bed was obviously very used, maybe serving for 5 cadets (Was probably made/replaced at the 97th-98th Cadet Corps, which meant it was likely replaced every 5-6 Cadet Corps), but the sheets and blankets were clean. Most likely washed once a week, maybe twice a month at least. It was likely around 6 AM, and cadets usually had to be up at 7. That meant they could shower, too. A quick one, taking a half-hour at least. They could easily change into their uniform afterward.

They groaned again, realizing that their mind was overworking again, reminding them of what they were.

A Monster. A Sociopath. A High-Functioning Sociopath that got off on pain.

A Psychopath.

A Masochistic Psychopath. Or just a Psychopath, they never really knew.

Ebony shuddered, getting out of their bed and grabbing their uniform, hurrying out of the barracks and to the showers, trying to distract themselves from the reality of what they were. However, their mind was rampant with thought and imagination. That, along with the scars from failed healing tests from Marlean Superiors that littered their body. Slashes, bites, burns, and any injury imaginable, a scar resided of it, varying in size from a small two-to-three-inch cut on the right wrist to a large burn that covered a majority of their left hip. Scars of carrying shapes and sizes covered any skin it could, marking their body with pale tattoos of injuries.

He was a psychopath, the failed Misty Titan, and as good as dead. They would die before they left the island.

That was certain. That was fate. Their will, and their plan.

Why couldn't they just die already?


	6. The Great ODM Race

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ODM Training becomes a competition when Emilio is paired with Bertholdt, Marco, and Mina in order to race across Krolva District's Forest Of Giant Trees in a marathon to get ahead.

"FINALLY! I have been waiting for WEEKS for this!" Lio cheered as he and his group of friends headed towards the ranks, lines of cadets forming in orderly rows.

Today was the day. The first day of ODM training. They had been transported to the Krolva District, the western and rural area of Wall Rose, for ODM training. Krolva was the farming center, a home for bakeries, mills, and farming-related businesses. Farms surrounded the outskirts of the said district, fields of wheat, corn, and whatnot, along with the occasional rare pen full of animals and livestock, for their own unique resources, and the meat. That wasn't all Krolva was known for, however. The large forest (Known as the Lesser Forest Of Giant Trees) of trees that stretched taller than the wall resided in the near-center of the district, made perfect for ODM training.

Reiner chuckled, crossing his arms as he watched Lio's excitement with amusement. Luka smiled, his eyes shining like a child in a candy store, just as excited. Adele only sighed, pushing her glasses up her nose further, and shook her head. Bertholdt only watched as he followed behind the group, giving an awkward smile. The squad of 5 lined up in the rows, orderly and arms crossed behind their backs. The normal stationary pose in the Cadet Corps. Commandant Sadies stood at the front of the countless rows of innocent and naive soldiers, grumbling in annoyance.

"Attention recruits! Today you will be testing your ODM skills in action! No more still-practice and flailing! You will be flying around in the Forest Of Giant Trees!" He roared, his eyes angry and cold. "You will be in Squads of 4, and your goal is to reach the end of the woods! It shall be a race to who can reach the end first, without touching the ground! Mid-Air battles are allowed! I expect proper fighting etiquette to be followed with such battles! Refill stations will be placed throughout the middle of the forest! Each Squad can only use 2 at a time! If anyone in your squad is hurt, or unable to progress onward, fire a Red Flare! Each squad will be given a color to designate who is who! Only one person from each team has to arrive at the platform and grab the flag at the end! Once you grab the flag, fire a Green Flare!"

"Sounds fun," Lio whispered to Luka next to him. "Dashing into trees at speeds to rival a horse."

"Just avoid the wooden poles" Luka muttered back, chuckling softly. "And people, too. I guess."

"The squads will be announced now!" The Commandant's voice rang out through the crowds, making everyone tense up.

"Squad 1! Eren Yeager! Ebony! Jean Kirstein! Christa Lenz! Your color will be Red!" Lio could hear Eren groan from behind him at the mention of Jean.

"Squad 2! Mikasa Ackerman! Reiner Braun! Connie Springer! Ymir! Your color will be Yellow!" Emilio saw Reiner tense, focused, and ready.

"Squad 3! Sasha Braus! Floch Forester! Annie Leonheart! Johanna Oskar! Your color will be Green!" The soft chuckle of Thomas was heard in front of Lio.

"Squad 4! Luka Meyer! Thomas Wagner! Adele Wagner! Armin Arlet! Your color will be Blue!" Luka sighed playfully next to Emilio, ready to help carry the weight of his squad.

"Squad 5! Emilio Karsten! Marco Bodt! Bertholdt Hoover! Mina Carolina! Your color will be Black!"

Emilio tensed, realizing that he would be paired with some of the top students so far.

This would be fun.

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The squads formed on uniform squares, platforms of wood raised around 10 feet in the air. The metal boxes, devoid of any blades for safety purposes, hung heavy on Lio's waist and thighs, tied to his ODM gear. His heart was racing, as excitement and anticipation filled his entire being. A black bandana was tied around his neck, snug and comfy.

"This seems simple enough," Mina stated, hosting her ODM gear onto her waist. Her bandana was tied around her wrist, tight, but not too tight.

"It seems kind of risky to me. We could easily run face-first into a tree..." Bertholdt muttered in fear, refilling his gas canisters. The black bandana was tied around his arm, visible with ease.

"So, do we have a plan about what we're doing?" Marco asked as he began to buckle the straps of his gear onto his chest. His bandana was tied on his neck as well.

"Dash through the forest and try not to hit any trees?" Lio replied, slightly confused. "It's just a dash from the north end to the south end."

"Well, some parts of the forest are more populated with trees than others... have you seen the map?" Mina added, taking note of Marco's statement.

"There's a map?" Lio gawked, eyes wide with a stupid smile on his face.

"Yea. The teachers gave them to someone from each squad. We're you not listening?" Bertholdt chuckled as Lio's dumbfounded face turned towards the taller male.

"No... I wasn't paying attention..." Lio chuckled, awkwardly, face flush with embarrassment. He really needed to improve his memory and attention skills. "So, what's with the woods?"

Mina pulled a map from her pocket, unrolling it and placing it onto the wooden platform. Everyone crouched and kneeled, looking over the sketched out forest.

"So, it seems like the trees get more clustered the more north we go, which is gonna make the race difficult for everyone." She pointed out, gesturing at the circles that began to group closer together. "It's also a mess of roots and vines at the bottom, so landing on the floor gets harder the more north we all go."

"Why don't we hang around the edge of the woods? We can hang out of the side and swing off the trees on the side." Emilio suggested, pointing at the sides of the forest, where space lay rampant. "It gets less crowded on the ends, so if we hang out there, we can go a whole lot faster."

"That would be kind of tricky though. We'd only be using one side of our gear." Bertholdt added, scratching his chin. "Plus, what about gas refills? By going on an arc, we couldn't get far before having to stop for gas."

"Wouldn't that mean we would go twice as far, though? If we're only using one side of our gear, it should last twice as long!" Marco theorized, his eyes going wide slightly. "But the arc issue is definitely going to be a problem."

"What if we crossed through the center?" Mina suggested, pointing at the middle of the forest. "Everyone else has a map, too, and may go for the same route as us."

"But the center would be more cluttered than the ends of the forest, though," Emilio added, pointing at the groups of trees clustered together tightly. "But what's the issue with people with us?"

"It could easily get messy. With more people means more of a risk for mid-air brawls." Bertholdt responded, rubbing his neck and looking away. "Depending on who is with us, it could easily get worse."

"Why not chill at the top of the forest? We're all talking about east and west, center sides and what-not, but what about the top of it?" Mina pointed out.

"The top of the woods would definitely have more branches and obstacles..." Marco explained, scratching his chin. "But if we hung out near the end of the woods, we'd likely have more gas to get to the refill stations."

"So, we hang near the edge of the forest at the top?" Bertholdt asked, making sure the plan was agreed upon.

"Seems like it. But what about if we get into a mid-air battle?" Lio asked, curious about the taller male's earlier statement. "Push them onto the floor?"

"I'd say, play smarter and not harder. Outsmart and outspeed them." Mina suggested. "I'm not exactly the best with battles and whatnot."

"Trick them into running into trees?" Lio suggested.

"Depends on the target. If it's someone like Mikasa, just run." Bertholdt added, crossing his arms. "If it's someone weaker like Hannah or Connie, then battle could definitely be an option."

"So the plan: Eastside at the top of the woods, and avoid battle if possible," Marco asked, making sure the plan was in agreement. Everyone nodded and agreed.

"Attention cadets! The Race will begin! Take your marks!" The commandant's voice rang throughout the camp, everyone tensing in shock. Lio's group quickly scampered up, Mina grabbing the map and shoving it into her pocket. The squad lined up at the red starting line, taped across the end of the wooden platform. Sasha's Squad resided to the left of them, and an unnamed Squad of people Lio didn't know to the right.

"On your marks!" Everyone tensed, prepping their gear.

"Get set!" Lio gripped the empty handles of his blades, triggers to activate his anchors ready.

"GO!"

Each squad shot off its platform like a rocket, everyone going every way imaginable, and anchors whizzed through the air with a hiss. Lio felt his ODM gear lock and felt himself surge forward, flying left and upwards as they planned. He heard punches as people already began to brawl in the air. The sound of 3 sets of gear followed behind him, most likely his squad (Bertholdt, Marco, and Mina) following after him. The wind flew by his face, his hair whipping around from the large gusts as he flew from the trees. His anchors retracted again, and shot once more, keeping his momentum going as he flew into the woods. His eyes were wide, amazed by the shock of actually flying, high above the ground, higher than he had ever been in his life. His anchors shot upwards, clinging to the canopy of the trees, and he flew up, crashing through branches and leaves, bursting out of the roof of the trees.

His eyes widened, a stupid smile once again forming on his face as he saw the sun curling over the cyan-blue sky, green leaves stretching endlessly ahead of him. It was amazing, beautiful even. He had never seen such a sight, not in his entire measly 15 years of life so far. He was star-struck, amazed with the beauty of it all.

Collapsing through the leaves again, he kept flying onward, now in the middle of his squad. Bertholdt leads the charge, while Marco and Mina hung next to and behind Emilio. The feeling of wind whipping by their ears, the constant moving as they dodged the assorted branches, the whole experience was surreal.

"THIS IS AMAZING!" Emilio felt himself cheer, spinning around like a wheel and launching his anchors again to avoid a large branch. "They should make this a sport or something!"

"ODM gear was made specifically for soldiers, though!" Marco questioned, the anchor on his left hip withdrawing as he swung like a monkey grasping for vines.

"Still, it would be fun for this to be a sport!" Mina chimed in, using her gas to burst ahead with a surge of speed.

"TREE!" Bertholdt screamed, diving out of the way of a large trunk that was right in the middle of their flight path. The group screamed, Lio, bursting to the east with a surge of gas, colliding with Mina and Marco as he shoved the three of them out of the way. Wires tangled around the group as they collapsed against a nearby branch. Marco's shirt was pierced by Lio's anchor, causing him to dangle off the branch as his weary body rolled off of it. Mina clung against the wall, her legs tied together by Emilio, who was struggling to keep a grip due to Marco's weight threatening to drag him down with the other male.

"Bert! Little help over here?!" Mina called out, the taller male already working on recovering Marco, to the appreciation of the blue-haired male.

"That was close. We should pay attention more to the trees..."He muttered, hosting Marco up and dislodging the anchor from his dress-shirt collar.

"We? No, that was us." Lio retorted, retracting his anchors and trying to catch his breath. "The only reason we didn't become pancakes was that you warned us."

"Yea... Thanks for that, Bertholdt!" Mina chimed, collapsing onto her knees and trying to collect her breath. "You really saved us there!"

"I-It was nothing..." The flustered male chuckled, rubbing his neck as his skin began to flush with the praise. "W-We should get back on course. Who knows how far ahead of everyone else is by now."

"Wait! We should check how much gas we have. That burst to dodge the tree definitely took a toll on it." Marco warned, already checking the large canisters that rested on his hips. "How much does everyone have?"

"I've got maybe two-thirds, one half left. That burst definitely took a lot of energy." Emilio sighed, checking over his gas reserves.

"Yea. Which way was forward...." Lio muttered, getting up and looking around. After a few seconds, he pointed ahead, across from Marco and in the direction he was looking. "This should be the way North!"

"Alright! Let's get moving then!" Marco chimed, a cheeky grin forming across his face.

The group dismounted quickly, anchors flying and gas whizzing as they dashed to the first refill station.

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Lio's group collapsed onto the large wooden platform, large gas canisters resting on the west and east sides of the lifted platform. Christa's group was already there, Eren and Jean refilling their gas, while the other two, Ebony and Christa, waited patiently. No one else was in sight, but the sounds of ODM gear filled the space behind them, quickly increasing in volume.

"...And they bring the herd with them." Jean sighed, refilling his canisters faster. A red bandana was tied around his neck.

"Hurry up and refill! There's likely a whole herd of people coming over to us!" Mina warned, quickly retracting her anchors.

"What gave that away? The constant wave of anchor sounds?" Ebony sarcastically muttered. Their bandana was around their head, like a headband.

"Please be nice, Ebony. We're all going to end up working together later on, so you don't want to get on anyone's bad side." Christa defused the situation with ease, the white-haired former huffing in annoyance, yet keeping their mouth shut. Her bandana was tied in her hair, making a loose ponytail.

"I assume we're far ahead?" Lio questioned, quickly pulling his gas canisters off and beginning to refill them. "By the sounds behind us?"

"Yea, we haven't seen anyone else so far. You're the first people to arrive." Eren replied, hastily pulling his gas canister off the large refill station. "But we're not in too much of a lead currently." His bandana was tied around his wrist, the red cloth flashing under his sleeve.

"Focus on refilling, less talking!" Jean snapped, clipping his canisters back onto his ODM gear.

"You're one to talk!" The brunette retorted, obviously salty over something that had occurred. Lio made a mental note to ask Ebony and Christa about it later. "You're talking just by saying that!"

"Please stop fighting!" Christa worried, trying to break up whatever argument was between Jean and Eren. "This is supposed to be a team exercise!"

"Christ almighty, who's idea was it that Jean and Eren would be in the same team?" Ebony asked, looking around the group.

"I dunno. Maybe it was randomized, and you guys got unlucky?" Bertholdt theorized, locking his canisters into place.

"That would explain a lot of the teams, honestly." Mina chuckled, sticking her canisters into the machinery. "How long does this take?"

"Depends on the model. What type is it?" Lio asked, knowing just about the basics of machine evolution."Usually the bigger the number, the better it is."

"...1. Mk 1. Are you fucking-?!" Jean snapped, reading the number on the base of the machine. 

"As expected. It's usually the Southern Division that becomes scouts, so they give us the old machines." Ebony hissed, filling their gas faster. "Preferential assholes..."

"What's wrong with people joining the scouts?!" Eren snapped, locking his canister into place.

"Those higher up jerks who think that God has kissed their ass believe that the Scouts are just Titan Food," Emilio explained, unhooking his own canisters and waiting for his friends to finish. 

"What makes you say that?! Not everyone in the capital is bad!" Marco protested, his loyalties unwavering. He seriously was going to die in the name of the king.

"Fair, but I have a friend who used to live in said capital, who says that most of the higher-ups are literal bags of shit." Emilio sighed, crossing his arms. "The king thought, I'm not sure. Luka never was close to the royals and their politics."

"Luka? Luka Meyer? He used to live in the capital?" Christa questioned, eyes widening slightly.

"Close to it. His family was super-rich, his dad owning I think, most of the Orvud Districts butcher shops. His parents are the people that help give the MP's their meat." Lio explained ratling off the little he knew about the Meyer family. "Apparently the training camps in the Utopia and Oruvd Districts have top tier stuff."

"Lucky them. Maybe I'll join the MP's." Ebony muttered, rubbing their neck. "Live safely and eat meat. Sounds like Paradise."

"Amen," Jean added, fist-bumping Ebony for their choice to live safely.

"Better hope you get in the top 10, then!" Marco cheered Ebony's decision, happy that someone else would maybe join him.

"You don't have to get into the Top 10 to join. I heard that some people get in through families and favors, and whatnot. If you don't get in, I think Luka would help you guys out." 

"Good to know," Eren muttered, not content with living in the interior. He was dead set on becoming a Scout, apparently.

"Can this thing fill up any slower?" Bertholdt muttered, locking his canisters into a place to be refilled. Emilio waited behind him to fill his own canisters.

"They always give the Southern Division the shit machinery." Ebony sighed, unhooking their canisters and waiting for Eren to finish. They were obviously still angry about the whole Gas Machinery situation.

"Could always be worse, guys!" Marco chimed positively, trying to lighten the mood.

"Holy shit-! GUYS?! GET YOUR GAS AND MOVE-!" Eren screeched, pointing behind the group. A large herd of scouts pushed towards the refill station, brawling in the air and shouting, and causing a ruckus.

"You had to say something?! Really?!" Ebony hissed, glaring daggers at Marco.

"LESS TALKING, MORE RUNNING!" Jean panicked, eyes wide as he looked over the looming wave of cadets.

"S-Stop fighting!" Christia panicked, trying to defuse the situation. "Focus on getting your gas refilled!"

"Done! Get to the trees when you finish refilling!" Eren ordered, locking his gear into place and launching into one of the trees nearby. Ebony took the chance and shoved his canisters into the device.

"Fuck-!" Emilio paced around, eyes widening at the wave of cadets heading their way. "Can you fill ANY SLOWER?!"

"They always give the Southern Division literal SHIT for gear!" Ebony hissed, kicking the refill station as it slowly filled the metal container. "FUCK-!" They hobbled around, clutching their foot and groaning in pain.

"WHAT made you think that was smart?!" Jean snapped, eyes wide in a mix of amusement and anger.

"Just get your gas and go!" Eren screamed from the trees. "Less talking, more running!"

"Done! Your turn, Marco!" Mina launched into the trees, resting on a nearby branch. Marco quickly locked his canisters into place and began to refill them.

"This is the most chaotic training session yet," Marco muttered to Lio, impatiently tapping his foot as he waited for his canisters to refill.

"OH MY GOD-!" Emilio kicked the machine, wisely hitting it with the soles of his boots, trying to make it refill Bertholdt's canisters faster.

"I don't think kicking it is going to make it go any faster..." Christa worried, eyeing Emilio's desperate panicking. 

"Feels nice, though." The blue-haired male muttered, crossing his arms and huffing. "FILL FASTER!"

"I'M TRYING!" Bertholdt retorted, yanking his canisters off the machine. "FINALLY! Your turn!" Lio shoved his canisters into the machine, gas hissing as was transported into the metal tubes.

"Hurry up you guys! Unless you wanna be pincushions for ODM anchors!" Eren yelled, trying to get everyone to move.

"Move! Get your gas and run!" Mina cheered on, also trying to help motivate the others.

"Time to haul ass! Jean! Christa! Hurry up!" Ebony yelled, yanking his canisters off the machines and locking them into his gear. "Emilio! Marco! Move!"

"Working on it!" Marco replied, yanking his gas canisters off the station and hurriedly buckling them onto his equipment.

"Done refilling! Christa, let's go!" Jean locked his canisters into his gear, then went to help Christa get up before the tidal wave of cadets smothered them. "Cmon! We gotta move!"

"O-Okay! I'm done!" Christa's angelic voice wavered with fear and panic, as she hurried over and locked her anchors into the nearby trees. "Good luck you guys!" The blonde worried, giving a sorrowful glance back at Ground Zero, where Lio's team resided. She shot off, followed by Jean, hurrying to accompany their other comrades. The squad launched off together, disappearing into the trees.

"Shit shit shit-!" Emilio was panicking, hastily attempting to clip his gas canisters in. His hands were shaking, and the clips kept sliding out of his hands. "No no no no no-!" He was going to be trampled! He had to get out of here, but how? Ideas raced through his mind, but he had to choose now! Otherwise, anchors would make good use of his body for landing into! "Oh fuck it- Marco!"

"What!? Lio, you have to get out of there!" Marco had finished refilling and had hooked onto a nearby tree for support, like Mina. "What are you doing?!"

"Catch me!" He yelled, hugging his canisters to his chest as he bolted across the platform, anchors whizzing into space behind him. "NOW!" The blue-haired male leaped off the refill station, clutching his cargo as he began to descend.

"EMILIO!" He heard Mina and Bertholdt scream as wind-whipped by his face and ears, effectively blinding and deafening him temporarily. His whole body was tense as he felt hands grip into the back of his jacket, hoisting him up as his descent downward halted, and his body was shot up like a rocket. His feet connected with wooden, legs shaking as he collapsed onto the branch, eyes shakily opening.

"Holy shit..." Bertholdt collapsed as well, falling forward onto his knees as he gasped for air. "Are you insane?! You could have died!"

"That was way too close..." Mina gasped, sliding down the back of the tree, collapsing as well. Her eyes were wide and shaking, fear and amazement ever present on her face. "What made you think that was a good idea?"

"P-Pure... fucking... okay wow..." Lio hunched over, wheezing for breath. The sudden change of motion, from free-falling downward to shooting up like a rocket, made his mind hazy. Hands shakily buckled his gas canisters onto his gear, locking them into place tightly. "I panicked. I would have become a pin cushion for a whole ton of anchors."

"You think they would plan for stuff like this..." Bertholdt sighed, rubbing his neck.

"Alright. We should get moving before everyone finishes! Eren's group is still ahead!" Mina added, trying to motivate everyone.

"R-Right! Cmon, Suicide Jumper." Marco playfully teased Lio, helping him up onto his feet. "They shouldn't be that far ahead! You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." The former replied, gripping the hilts attached to his gear tightly, fingers resting on the triggers. "Let's move!"

The group shot off from the trees, leaving behind the chaotic refill station, full of brawling cadets. Screaming and shouting filled the air, along with the whizzing of anchors. Emilio's heart was pounding, his pulse running in his ears. His whole body burned as he flew through the air, eyes desperately looking around for any enemies.

"Eren's group! 12 o'clock!" Marco notified the group, pointing ahead to the squad that was dashing in front of them. "Cmon! We gotta beat them!" He boosted ahead, riding a large wave of gas as he flew above the brunette's squad.

"WHAT THE-?!" Jean yelled, eyes wide as he saw Marco fly above him. His head whirled around, widening as he saw the group behind him. "We got company!"

"Finally! Some action!" Eren smirked, boosting ahead, and flying after Marco.

"After them! We can't let Marco get caught!" Mina ordered, pointing at the scene ahead of them. "Cmon!" Everyone boosted ahead, chasing after Marco and Eren, dashing across the forest. The groups weaved between trees, dashing through branches and dodging the rival squad members.

"Someone help me!? Please?!" Marco yelled, dodging Eren's frantic attempts to stop him.

"Working on it!" Emilio yelled back, anchors digging into a tree above his head. "I'm about to break something in both of us...." Launching forward, Marco's jaw dropped as he saw Lio tackled Eren onto a large branch. A sickening crunch resounded as the two collapsed, slamming hard into the wooden limb of the tree. Lio felt pain shoot up his shoulder where he checked the brunette, and his back and legs were burning from the impact of the wood. The two groaned, Emilio, glancing over at his friends as they dove after Marco. Stumbling upon shaky legs, he launched back into the fray, his whole body aching. The older male chuckled as he listened to Eren's swearing as he blasted after his rival.

"Are you TRYING to get yourself killed?!" Bertholdt screamed over the wind, eyes looking over at Emilio with concern and anger. "You're gonna give me a heart attack!"

"Relax! I've dealt with worse!" The injured male tried to comfort his panicked friend, quickly blasting out of the way of a tree. "Focus on keeping Marco away from them! Only one person has to reach the end, right?!"

"Oh, yea! So we just have to protect Marco, right?!" Mina awed, remembering what the Commandant said during the instructions. "Well, cmon! Let's go!" The group launched at the Squad below them, determined to protect their friend. The refill stations were centered around the half-way point of the woods, and at the speed, everyone was going at, they would reach the end soon. Emilio's feet connected with Jean's back, shoving the male downwards and knocking him off balance. Bertholdt landed atop of Ebony, knocking the albino off balance with a mechanical crunch, and sending the two spiralings to the floor. Anchors flew up from the smaller male, connecting with a branch that left them dangling in the air.

"Bert! You okay?!" Mina yelled as she flew by.

"I-I'm okay! I think my ODM gear's broken, though! Go on without me!" He yelled back, helplessly clinging to the Albino, which was amusing. Bertholdt was 6'3" at least, and Ebony barely stood taller than Christa at 5'2". Emilio snickered with laughter as the group dashed ahead, each Squad now with one less member.

"Take out Eren and Jean first! They're some of the strongest cadets, which makes our job a whole lot easier!" Emilio noted, watching as Eren and Jean focused themselves and charged after Marco again.

"Not today!" Jean flew up, his knee connecting with Lio's gut as he flew by, sending the injured male flying backward. Anchors dug into trees as he recoiled, coughing as he tried to regain air into his lungs. "That's for bringing the horde at us!"

"You actual HORSE-!" Lio snapped, eyes angry. "Mina, deal with Eren and Christa! I'm taking care of this stud!"

"What did you call me?!" Jean snapped from below him.

"W-Wait! I can't take on two people! I-I'm not strong enough!" Mina protested eyes widened as she saw Eren and Christa charge at Marco.

"JUST PLEASE DO SOMETHING!?" Marco yelped, doing Eren's attempt to grab his foot. "Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!"

"O-Okay!" Mina stuttered, shakily chasing after Marco and Eren. Lio glanced down, seeing Jean charge ahead at him, fists ready to punch. The older male's arm quickly formed a barrier, blocking the hits from Jean as he tried to get some damage on his opponent. His arms burned with pain as each punch and kick connected, wearily managing to block each strike.

_I can't take much more of this...! I gotta do something!_

Lio's leg swooped and connected with Jean's hip, right above his ODM gear. The tan-haired male groaned as he spiraled down slightly, boosting to maintain his position and not fall. His whole body ached, and he knew that he couldn't take any more hits without falling. Jean also noted this, quickly boosting over to try and land another kick. Lio quickly deflected the attack with his arms, the burn of pain shooting through his limbs. His knee quickly connected with Jean's gut again, shoving the taller male away again. Activating his gas, Lio boosted ahead, diving past Christa, Mina, and Eren, and even going past Marco.

"L-Lio?! Where are you going?!" Marco yelled, watching his comrade flee the scene. "You can't just leave us!"

"He's not leaving us, he's taking your place!" Mina awed, boosting next to Marco. "Cmon! We gotta catch up!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Eren yelled, flying by the two cadets, chasing after the blue-haired male.

"Slow down, Eren! You don't know what he's capable of!" Christa warned, eyes wide as she watched Eren fade out of distance.

"Let him go! We gotta deal with these two!" Jean retorted, diving after Marco, ready to fight again.

"Shit-!" Marco swore, grabbing Mina and boosting away quickly, dodging Jean's leg as it tried to connect with his gut. "Cmon! We gotta stop Eren!"

"Right!" Mina nodded, the two boosting ahead, barely dodging Jean's desperate attacks.

Emilio was hastily dodging Eren's frantic grabs at him, hands grasping at his jacket, hair, and gear. The younger was determined to bring Lio down, no matter what, apparently. However, that wasn't going to change the fact that Lio was able to evade him. The older male's leg smacked against Eren's shoulder, successfully shoving the brunette off balance and collapsing against a tree. Lio watched the brunette collapse to his knees, angrily watching him fly out of view. He wasn't out of the battle yet, but he was definitely stopped for a good second.

"Blue-haired idiot! 3 o'clock!" A cadet's voice rang from below him, causing Lio's eyes to flinch downwards. It was another group, assorted cadets of whom he didn't know. All 4 of them. This wasn't gonna end well.

"NOPE!" Lio boosted away, launching upward into the trees, hastily climbing past branches and massive leaves. The sound of chaotic cadets began to chase after him, anchors whizzing across the trees and flying after Emilio.

_I just gotta get to the end! It shouldn't be far now!_

Emilio broke away from the cluttered branches, entering a large clearing. A massive, wooden pedestal resided in the center of it, holding a massive flag with the classic Cadet Corps logo on it. The last checkpoint! This was the final stretch! His eyes registered tiny silhouettes of assorted cadets flying across the trees, heading towards the center flag. He saw his friends, all focused and ready to fight till the last breath, and all glaring at each other.

No one had seen him yet. Perfect.

Emilio fully blasted whatever gas he had left forward, launching himself across the clearing and towards the center platform.

"Don't let him get the flag- ACK-!" A cadet yelled as Marco tackled him, shoving him onto the floor.

"RUN! GET THE FLAG!" Marco yelled, whirling around and diving after Mina, who was being grappled by two of the other random teams.

"Where the hell did he come from?!" Johanna yelled, eyes wide as she saw Emilio arc across the sky.

"Someone stop him!" Armin ordered, pointing above.

"How the fuck-?!" Reiner awed, watching the chaos unfold in front of him.

"GO LIO!" Luka cheered, supporting his friend.

"No way he'll make that-!" Floch muttered, refusing to believe what was happening.

Emilio reached forward, hastily flying forward as he gained speed, racing towards the flag that crept ever so closer. He finally connected with the flag, yanking it out of its pedestal and flying down towards the floor. His hand hastily pulled his flare gun out, firing the green smoke across the sky. He had won!

Now, the landing was another issue.

"Oh fuck-"

His body collided with the coarse dirt and grass, sending him tumbling across the soil, dust, and earth being kicked up and coating his lungs and throat, sending him into a coughing fit. Pain shot through his body in throbs of burning sensations. He didn't care, as he rolled onto his back and stared upwards, blurred vision looking over the sky above. He gave a soft chuckle as his eyes wearily closed, as his adrenaline faded, and his body gave out. The last thing his body registered was the assorted voices of cadets that began to surround him.


End file.
